Music Trade Review
Issue: 1919 Vol. 69 N. 17 - Page 7
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OCTOBER 25, 1919
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Being the Observations, Wise and Otherwise, of the Altruistic Philosopher of
The Review's Staff, to Wit, the Editor of This Player Section, on Things of
Import and Weight, Albeit Presented in a Frolicsome, Colloquial Manner
The Unappreciated Player-Piano
A week or so ago I had the great pleasure of
talking with a very intelligent and earnest group
of women gathered as delegates to the annual
convention of the Illinois Federation of Music
Clubs. We talked of a good many things, but
of none more interesting or important than the
player-piano. These women are earnest, brainy
workers in the cause of music. The record of
their labors in the cause of music in the schools
and in the community, and for the interests of
the young American musician, is beyond praise.
Yet, I was pained to find how few of them knew—
or cared—anything about the player-piano. With
the talking machine all of them were quite famil-
iar. Yet, the player-piano was to most of them
known only as an instrument which produces
very dreadful caricatures of music at high speed
and with the murderous precision of a machine
gun. The task of showing these ladies that the
player-piano is actually a most interesting and
valuable musical instrument, and that it fully
deserves the highest praise for its ability to con-
tribute to the cau.,e of music education, was
pleasant and not too protracted. The ladies,
being intelligent, rapidly saw the points. But
what shall we think of our industry that it has
not yet been able to "sell" the player-piano as a
musical proposition worthy of any consideration
at all, to these great groups of clever workers in
music's cause, than whom no more devoted
apostles exist? There is something decidedly
wrong with our whole method of appeal when,
after 15 years of immense expenditure on pub-
licity, we have not yet got under the skins of the
nation's most intelligent music lovers—not pro-
fessional musicians, but intelligent musical ama-
teurs. It is all very well to say that we all
have more business at the moment than we can
take care of. The superficial fool always says
this, and we can get him up on his hind legs to
bray any time wifhout notice, if need be. But
what about the high-minded members of our
industries who are not fools and who see the
day at hand when demand shall fall below sup-
ply once more, and the real salesman shall come
into his own? They surely can perceive that we
cannot forever seek to build our industry on the
lowest and most vulgar of tastes. No doubt, the
opportunist will cry that we may leave tomorrow
to take care of itself. But the big men of in-
dustry, whether they have made pianos or pens,
trumpets or typewriters, have not thus built,
f hey, on the contrary, have always aimed at se-
curing the most intelligent approval. Ask any
advertising man what kind of copy the big na-
tional advertisers of high-priced specialties pre-
fer 1 We are sailing by false charts and a de-
fective compass when we deliberately adopt the
policy of discouraging the interest of the intel-
ligent in the community and of resting our case
on the applause of the foolish and the vulgar.
"A Mad World, My Masters"
The trouble with the world is that it is too
big. When any institution as big as the world
goes mad all at once, the process of recovery is
bound to be rather slow. Just how slow we are
having some indications at the moment. If you
ask any man what is the greatest need of the
world today he will probably reply "lower prices
for the necessities of life." But when you press
him further and ask, "what then will produce
lower priceJ quicker than anything else?" his
answer may be anything. One will say "hang the
profiteers." Another will insist on hanging the
labor leaders. A third thinks the trouble has to
do with the League of Nations. Still another
is convinced that it is all "this unrest." The
last is perhaps the simplest explanation; but it
las the slight disadvantage of raising questions
far more formidable than that to which it poses
as the answer. Perhaps, finally will come along
a thinker who will timidly suggest that the real
remedy is to be found in more steady and intense
p.oduction. Of course, the solitary one will be
right; but, unhappily, he will decidedly be as un-
popular as he is accurate. The fact is that the
old gospel of plain, simple work, on the basis of
a fair day's pay for a fair day's labor, is not a bit
popular among our really advanced thinkers.
The war has seemingly been too much for some
of us; who have complacently assumed that to
tie vigorous action of the battle days must "in
the nature of things" succeed a period of what
is called "reaction." It is this sort of mesmerism
which is unconsciously paralyzing the world's
efforts to get back to normal methods. Yet, in
point of fact, what prevents us from getting back
lo work? What law stands between us and a
steady productivity? No law at all! The trouble
with the world is simply that it has not shaken it-
self free from its dream. It is time, brothers, to
wake. There is work to do. Let us up and to
our work.
Little Gladys Jones
This is no fish story. 1 guarantee it is 100
per cent. true. Some friends of mine have a small
daughter, aged about three years at the moment
of writing. This young person possesses an un-
canny power of observation, with a sense of the
ludicrous far beyond her years and a freedom of
repartee, a power of vigorous expression, as amaz-
ing as it occasionally disconcerting. The fam-
ily have always had a piano since Gladys appeared
in the world, and the young lady is accustomed
to the very fine singing of her mother, who plays
her own accompaniments. Her father likes music
very much, but does not play the keyboard. A
short time ago the family, at my suggestion,
bought a very fine player-piano. When it arrived
and had been duly opened, admired and played on,
Gladys eyed it with the closest attention.
Thoughts of the tracker bar, rolls and pedals,
familiar to her through visits to our player-grand
at home, evidently were surging through her very
active and, 1 may add, usually devilish brain.
The family watched without comment—then,
suddenly, "Oh! mamma! I know what this is;
this is a gentleman's piano; you had a ladies'
piano before.- This is a gentleman's piano!"
Will my merchant friends please take notice?
This small observer had plainly perceived the
underlying truth that it is men who play player-
pianos. That was what at once appealed to her.
The foot-played piano is a gentleman's piano.
There is a moral, but no sane and self-respecting
member of the industry will wish to have it made
the subject of labored comment. Yet, there is
a moral and a very instructive moral for the re-
tailer in this artless tale.
CAN ACCOMODATE MORE STUDENTS
Danquard School Has Opening for Several Dur-
ing November—Popularity Grows
Milton L. Cheek, chief instructor of the Danquard
player action school, New York City, announces that
he can accept several students for courses starting
during the month of November. This school is be-
coming ever more popular, and more and more stu-
dents are taking advantage of the remarkable benefits
that can be obtained by attending. The regular
course of instruction on player actions extends from
three to ten weeks, sessions daily from nine to five
p. m.—Saturdays until twelve p. in. The courses
vary in length according to the time which the stu-
c'ent would like to devote.
A very successful post-graduate course of repro-
ducing instruments is being offered to students who
graduate from the regular player action course. This
course teaches the mechanism, operation and gen-
eral principles of all leading reproducing actions used
in the field today. Actual models of the prominent
makes are being used in the school and this class,
under the direct tutorage of Milton L. Cheek, offers
its students the most complete and exact course in
the most modern of all player actions—the repro-
ducing actions.
Bennett & White. Inc., 67-71 Goble street, Newark,
N. J., have sent out to the trade a numerical catalog
of Artempo word record rolls complete to November
1. This numerical catalog is a great help to dealers
and it is also an aid in getting orders filled promptly.
The latest list of Artempo rolls includes all the sea-
son's song hits, as well as a large number of stand-
ard selections which are always in demand.
COMPANY!
PAVLB.KIXTGH P ~
N THE HUDSON at
S l S t . STREET
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OCTOBER 25, 1919
pil&t^l^MIMMLVJl^
fifflfifflfifflTiffl^^
ifi^siffWftiffwwfflffWSffW
Being the Observations, Wise and Otherwise, of the Altruistic Philosopher of
The Review's Staff, to Wit, the Editor of This Player Section, on Things of
Import and Weight, Albeit Presented in a Frolicsome, Colloquial Manner
The Unappreciated Player-Piano
A week or so ago I had the great pleasure of
talking with a very intelligent and earnest group
of women gathered as delegates to the annual
convention of the Illinois Federation of Music
Clubs. We talked of a good many things, but
of none more interesting or important than the
player-piano. These women are earnest, brainy
workers in the cause of music. The record of
their labors in the cause of music in the schools
and in the community, and for the interests of
the young American musician, is beyond praise.
Yet, I was pained to find how few of them knew—
or cared—anything about the player-piano. With
the talking machine all of them were quite famil-
iar. Yet, the player-piano was to most of them
known only as an instrument which produces
very dreadful caricatures of music at high speed
and with the murderous precision of a machine
gun. The task of showing these ladies that the
player-piano is actually a most interesting and
valuable musical instrument, and that it fully
deserves the highest praise for its ability to con-
tribute to the cau.,e of music education, was
pleasant and not too protracted. The ladies,
being intelligent, rapidly saw the points. But
what shall we think of our industry that it has
not yet been able to "sell" the player-piano as a
musical proposition worthy of any consideration
at all, to these great groups of clever workers in
music's cause, than whom no more devoted
apostles exist? There is something decidedly
wrong with our whole method of appeal when,
after 15 years of immense expenditure on pub-
licity, we have not yet got under the skins of the
nation's most intelligent music lovers—not pro-
fessional musicians, but intelligent musical ama-
teurs. It is all very well to say that we all
have more business at the moment than we can
take care of. The superficial fool always says
this, and we can get him up on his hind legs to
bray any time wifhout notice, if need be. But
what about the high-minded members of our
industries who are not fools and who see the
day at hand when demand shall fall below sup-
ply once more, and the real salesman shall come
into his own? They surely can perceive that we
cannot forever seek to build our industry on the
lowest and most vulgar of tastes. No doubt, the
opportunist will cry that we may leave tomorrow
to take care of itself. But the big men of in-
dustry, whether they have made pianos or pens,
trumpets or typewriters, have not thus built,
f hey, on the contrary, have always aimed at se-
curing the most intelligent approval. Ask any
advertising man what kind of copy the big na-
tional advertisers of high-priced specialties pre-
fer 1 We are sailing by false charts and a de-
fective compass when we deliberately adopt the
policy of discouraging the interest of the intel-
ligent in the community and of resting our case
on the applause of the foolish and the vulgar.
"A Mad World, My Masters"
The trouble with the world is that it is too
big. When any institution as big as the world
goes mad all at once, the process of recovery is
bound to be rather slow. Just how slow we are
having some indications at the moment. If you
ask any man what is the greatest need of the
world today he will probably reply "lower prices
for the necessities of life." But when you press
him further and ask, "what then will produce
lower priceJ quicker than anything else?" his
answer may be anything. One will say "hang the
profiteers." Another will insist on hanging the
labor leaders. A third thinks the trouble has to
do with the League of Nations. Still another
is convinced that it is all "this unrest." The
last is perhaps the simplest explanation; but it
las the slight disadvantage of raising questions
far more formidable than that to which it poses
as the answer. Perhaps, finally will come along
a thinker who will timidly suggest that the real
remedy is to be found in more steady and intense
p.oduction. Of course, the solitary one will be
right; but, unhappily, he will decidedly be as un-
popular as he is accurate. The fact is that the
old gospel of plain, simple work, on the basis of
a fair day's pay for a fair day's labor, is not a bit
popular among our really advanced thinkers.
The war has seemingly been too much for some
of us; who have complacently assumed that to
tie vigorous action of the battle days must "in
the nature of things" succeed a period of what
is called "reaction." It is this sort of mesmerism
which is unconsciously paralyzing the world's
efforts to get back to normal methods. Yet, in
point of fact, what prevents us from getting back
lo work? What law stands between us and a
steady productivity? No law at all! The trouble
with the world is simply that it has not shaken it-
self free from its dream. It is time, brothers, to
wake. There is work to do. Let us up and to
our work.
Little Gladys Jones
This is no fish story. 1 guarantee it is 100
per cent. true. Some friends of mine have a small
daughter, aged about three years at the moment
of writing. This young person possesses an un-
canny power of observation, with a sense of the
ludicrous far beyond her years and a freedom of
repartee, a power of vigorous expression, as amaz-
ing as it occasionally disconcerting. The fam-
ily have always had a piano since Gladys appeared
in the world, and the young lady is accustomed
to the very fine singing of her mother, who plays
her own accompaniments. Her father likes music
very much, but does not play the keyboard. A
short time ago the family, at my suggestion,
bought a very fine player-piano. When it arrived
and had been duly opened, admired and played on,
Gladys eyed it with the closest attention.
Thoughts of the tracker bar, rolls and pedals,
familiar to her through visits to our player-grand
at home, evidently were surging through her very
active and, 1 may add, usually devilish brain.
The family watched without comment—then,
suddenly, "Oh! mamma! I know what this is;
this is a gentleman's piano; you had a ladies'
piano before.- This is a gentleman's piano!"
Will my merchant friends please take notice?
This small observer had plainly perceived the
underlying truth that it is men who play player-
pianos. That was what at once appealed to her.
The foot-played piano is a gentleman's piano.
There is a moral, but no sane and self-respecting
member of the industry will wish to have it made
the subject of labored comment. Yet, there is
a moral and a very instructive moral for the re-
tailer in this artless tale.
CAN ACCOMODATE MORE STUDENTS
Danquard School Has Opening for Several Dur-
ing November—Popularity Grows
Milton L. Cheek, chief instructor of the Danquard
player action school, New York City, announces that
he can accept several students for courses starting
during the month of November. This school is be-
coming ever more popular, and more and more stu-
dents are taking advantage of the remarkable benefits
that can be obtained by attending. The regular
course of instruction on player actions extends from
three to ten weeks, sessions daily from nine to five
p. m.—Saturdays until twelve p. in. The courses
vary in length according to the time which the stu-
c'ent would like to devote.
A very successful post-graduate course of repro-
ducing instruments is being offered to students who
graduate from the regular player action course. This
course teaches the mechanism, operation and gen-
eral principles of all leading reproducing actions used
in the field today. Actual models of the prominent
makes are being used in the school and this class,
under the direct tutorage of Milton L. Cheek, offers
its students the most complete and exact course in
the most modern of all player actions—the repro-
ducing actions.
Bennett & White. Inc., 67-71 Goble street, Newark,
N. J., have sent out to the trade a numerical catalog
of Artempo word record rolls complete to November
1. This numerical catalog is a great help to dealers
and it is also an aid in getting orders filled promptly.
The latest list of Artempo rolls includes all the sea-
son's song hits, as well as a large number of stand-
ard selections which are always in demand.
COMPANY!
PAVLB.KIXTGH P ~
N THE HUDSON at
S l S t . STREET
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